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The Dominant Primordial Beast
Again,therimicebrokeawaybeforeandbehind,andtherewasnoescapeexceptupthecliff. Perraultscaleditbyamiracle,whileFrancoisprayedforjustthatmiracle; andwitheverythongandsledlashingandthelastbitofharnessroveintoalongrope,thedogswerehoisted,onebyone,tothecliffcrest. Francoiscameuplast,afterthesledandload. Thencamethesearchforaplacetodescend,whichdescentwasultimatelymadebytheaidoftherope,andnightfoundthembackontheriverwithaquarterofamiletotheday’scredit.
BythetimetheymadetheHootalinquaandgoodice,Buckwasplayedout. Therestofthedogswereinlikecondition; butPerrault,tomakeuplosttime,pushedthemlateandearly. Thefirstdaytheycoveredthirty-fivemilestotheBigSalmon; thenextdaythirty-fivemoretotheLittleSalmon; thethirddayfortymiles,whichbroughtthemwelluptowardtheFiveFingers.
Buck’sfeetwerenotsocompactandhardasthefeetofthehuskies. Hishadsoftenedduringthemanygenerationssincethedayhislastwildancestorwastamedbyacave-dwellerorriverman. Alldaylonghelimpedinagony,andcamponcemade,laydownlikeadeaddog. Hungryashewas,hewouldnotmovetoreceivehisrationoffish,whichFrancoishadtobringtohim. Also,thedog-driverrubbedBuck’sfeetforhalfanhoureachnightaftersupper,andsacrificedthetopsofhisownmoccasinstomakefourmoccasinsforBuck.
